Hello Beautiful People,
Alex Brightman is one of the brightest people that I have the pleasure and privilege of knowing. And yes, that pun was intended. He is an actor, singer, writer, and the epitome of what it means to be an artist – always learning, always growing, always professional, and always kind. Alex has a plethora of Off-Broadway and Broadway Credits, performing in productions such as 35MM, The History Boys, Nobody Loves You, Next to Normal, Glory Days, and Wicked. Currently, Alex is playing Zacky Price in Big Fish on Broadway, a show that I would urge each and every one of you to go and see. I’m humbled and honored that Alex took the time to sit down and chat with me for the Actors & Actresses Q&A Series, and I have no doubt that all of you Write Teacher(s) Readers out there will enjoy getting to know the one and only, Alex Brightman.
Photo: Matthew Murphy
MM: When you were growing up, did you always have dreams of Broadway?
AB: Yes, but not necessarily Broadway – I didn’t know Broadway existed until I was eight. My grandparents are from New Jersey, so we used to come and visit them quite a bit, and when I was eight, they took me to see my first show, and it was CATS…and I hated it. But then I went to see a couple of more shows that had substance and blew my mind, like The Who’s Tommy, and I couldn’t believe that there was a field for this, it seemed like so much fun, how could it be a job? But even before all that, I knew that I wanted to do something that involved performing. When I was younger I’d be on the fireplace in our house singing Gloria Estefan and Billy Ocean – stuff like that. My mom is a big rock and roller, and she brought me up on a lot of great bands, Aerosmith, ACDC – great groups like that. I technically started singing poorly at a young age, and my chords are stronger because of it. I’ve never actually been trained in voice, and I’ve never wanted to be. I’ve wanted to do theater forever, and as I got older, I would do unconscious “check in’s” as I grew up, and through that, I realized that I’m not good at anything else. I’m terrible at math, I love science, but I couldn’t wrap my head around it to the point of wanting to learn more. Through trial and error, I realized that I’m really good at singing and acting. Knowing what you excel in is a nice thing to know about oneself.
MM: You’ve made a wonderful career out of doing musical theater. Is that where your heart lies? Do you have a preference when it comes to being on the stage or on the screen?
AB: If I had my druthers, I would do plays for the rest of my life, and sing karaoke on the weekends. I love singing, I love musicals, I love seeing musicals – I’m in a musical now! I’ve made a career out of being in musicals; I’ve done film and television too – but my heart really lies on the stage. It’s not a conscious decision to just do musical theater, and I do have a passion for it – but I absolutely love being in plays. Perhaps that’s why I love Big Fish so much, because it blends story and song so well. I strive to be the type of actor who gives a “back row” performance, where people in the back row can feel the emotion and the energy – where the entire evening is palpable. That’s what I strive for.
MM: Lets talk about Big Fish. What do you have to say about the show and this experience thus far?
AB: I think this is Andrew Lippa’s best score. It’s his most cohesive, gorgeous, American score. It has a really grandiose, lush, beautiful sound. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had doing a show – I’ve never done a show on this scale from the ground up before, and it’s awesome.
MM: You’re playing Zacky Price in Big Fish, and now, every time this show is done, you will have set the blueprint for this role. What does that feel like?
AB: It’s so cool. Being able to design a role is rare. In the show, I unicycle, juggle clubs, skateboard, produce fireballs out of my hands, and age from 13 to 70 years old in the evening. I’ve made it very hard to replace me, and I’ve talked to other people about this, and it’s sort of this subconscious thing that you go through in this process. But it’s so cool; I’m going to get to record an original cast album. I think we have a shot at performing at the Tony Awards, and that’s just a testament to the involvement and dedication of the cast and the creative team.
MM: What’s it like to work with Susan Stroman?
AB: I fell head over heels in love with her. She is the most wonderful taskmaster that I have ever met – which is a wonderful quality to have as a director and a choreographer, because she can sharply transition from chum to director and it doesn’t seem insincere. She makes people want to work harder. I actually got to waltz with her when we were in Chicago, I was early onstage, and the orchestra was playing the waltz and I was going over it because I’m strictly a mover, not a dancer. And she grabbed me and said, “come here darling,” and we went over the dance together – just the two of us onstage. It was amazing. She has such high expectations, and expects her actors to do everything full out, with great conviction. That’s a direct quote of hers, “full out, with great conviction.” And it’s perfect, because if you’re giving a half performance in rehearsal, she doesn’t know what to fix. Personally, I will never understand why people wouldn’t want to give one hundred and ten percent to each and every performance that they do. It’s fun. It’s amazing. You’re getting paid to do something that you’ve done for free – why wouldn’t you give it all that you’ve got, each and every time you do it?
MM: Of all the roles you’ve played, which ones are most memorable?
AB: Big Fish takes the cake. But, prior to that, it would have to be Posner from The History Boys. I got to play someone who couldn’t be further from who I am, and it was the first time that I realized that I am a character actor. I work from the outside in; I love the little quirks and idiosyncrasies that can become part of a character, when it’s genuine. Posner and Zacky Price are great examples of that.
MM: Just for fun, what sound do you hate, and what sound do you love?
AB: I hate the sound of fingernails rubbing on fabric. I also hate when people make that “tsk” sound before they speak. It’s bitchy, and sometimes people don’t even realize it! I love the sound of things frying in a pan, that first sort of sizzle. I love the sounds of ice cubes in a class, followed by liquor. I love my girlfriend’s laugh, a lot. I love the sound of laughter, more than the sound of applause.
MM: What books are permanently on your bookshelf?
AB: The Giving Tree – it’s my favorite book of all time, I read it every year, and it means something different every single year. It has that universal amazing quality to it. The Green Mile, The Harry Potter Series, I read the last Harry Potter book in Union Square, I bought it at midnight and finished it when the sun came up. As far as plays go, I’ve worn out my copies of The Pillow Man, and Pounding Nails in the Floor with My Forehead.
MM: Just for fun, if you were stranded on a desert island, what movies would you want to have with you?
AB:The Green Mile, History of the World Part I, and Supersize Me.
MM: What character in musical theatre are you least like? What character in musical theater are you most like?
AB: I’m least like Annie from Annie Warbucks. I’m most like Johnny Byron from Jerusalem.
MM: IF you had to give a piece of advice to younger artists, what would you say?
AB: Don’t take every piece of advice that’s thrown at you at face value. Find out how and if it’s relevant to you before you follow it. There is no magic formula; there is no degree that will get you the job. I’d also advise anyone in this field that fear is part of this job, it’s not something that you should push away – fear of failing is something that should be present in the day to day. When you audition especially, it’s important to not be afraid to step into the room and do something silly, don’t push your impulses away – they’re there for a reason. If you walk into an audition not having the job, and you come out of it not having the job, nothing is gained or lost. People forget that.
MM: In today’s economy, arts programs are being cut. What reasons would you give to a politician or a school board to preserve the arts?
AB: It doesn’t make any logical sense. There’s nothing in school that taps into our brains the way that art does. Nothing. And there’s such great art in the world that needs to be preserved, and to get rid of it would be a tragedy.
MM: What’s next for Alex Brightman?
AB: Drew Gasparini and I wrote a musical called Make Me Bad, and we’ll be doing a huge reading of that in the winter. And people can expect more episodes of An Actor Prepares…, a web series I co-created with my girlfriend, Lindsey Kyler.
MM: Who is/was your greatest teacher?
AB: Tom Alessandri, who taught at my high school, Bellarmine College Preparatory. He cultivated the theater program at my school; we did one of the first high school productions of The Laramie Project and also helped write a semi-improvisational musical called The Seven Ages of Bob, which we took to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland – Alessandri was the one who got the ball rolling. Other great teachers would have to be Peter Canavese and Russ Marcel, who introduced me to improvisational comedy; I was in a group called the Sanguine Humors; it was the best of times, and it was the worst of times…in the best way. It changed my life.
Thank you, Alex!
Live, Love, Learn,